The first spatially resolved measurements of gap formation in a high-Tc superconductor are reported. Over a wide range of doping (0.16 to 0.22), it is found that pairing gaps nucleate in nanoscale regions above Tc. These regions proliferate as the temperature is lowered, resulting in a spatial distribution of gap sizes in the superconducting state.
- Kenjiro K. Gomes
- Abhay N. Pasupathy
- Ali Yazdani
